


Life

by wanderingsmith



Series: Sam and her boys [10]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-05-16
Updated: 2009-10-19
Packaged: 2021-01-16 20:47:16
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21277472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wanderingsmith/pseuds/wanderingsmith
Summary: Settling in





	1. Hip

**Author's Note:**

> I ain't got no money, and nobody'd be daft enough to pay me for this. As it is thought, so let it be said; you make the toys, I play with 'em.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gutter(s)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I blame this entirely pointless PWP smut on my current obsession with [this pic](http://poppydesign.org/wanderingsmith/Stargate/pics/Shea_chestDROOLZZ.jpg), courtesy of piccies from [VancouverCreationCon2009 at Gateworld](http://www.gateworld.net/gallery/displayimage.php?album=661&pos=229). lol, those who know me, know that it is always dangerous to introduce me to drooly pictures.. I can get very annoyingly stuck on them...

"You didn't mention I'd have to work for my keep."

Jack snorted at the laconic complaint, having to squint as he looked up, even with baseball cap and sunglasses on, "Hey, you get a nice big bed to play in, isn't that worth a bit of sweat?"

Siler didn't bother to take the bait, concentrating on keeping his centre balanced as he stretched his body out over the edge of the roof to reach the stubborn piece of gutter. He really didn't mind the work; it was easy, mindless physical labour. Hot sun on his back, fresh air in his lungs.

Good company scampering along besides him.

Sam took the piece of aluminum out of his hand so he could get himself back up without it unbalancing him and he thanked her softly, wondering how it could feel so comfortable, easy, reassuring and instinctive to work with a person, "Thanks, Sam."

"That's the last piece," she dropped the old, twisted metal over the edge for Jack to take to the scrap pile, watching with a smile as Siler carefully shifted himself back to the upright crouch they worked in, "Getting the new ones on shouldn't take too long."

He shook his head at the soft encouragement, not needing it. The last thing either of them had wanted was Jack's bad knees on a roof. Luckily he hadn't decided to think with the wrong head about this little job; arguing him down would have left bad feelings to ruin this beautiful day. But it was just too much fun to tease the general, even now that he knew the man couldn't reprimand him no matter what he said.

He grinned at his fellow roof-rat, silently appreciating the sight of Sam's very thin tank top and short shorts; not to mention her tanned skin glistening in the sun. They'd both opted for the risk of a bit of shingle-burn over getting heatstroke on the roof. 

His voice was low, keeping it from reaching their helper, "I'm fine, Sam. Was just riling him."

She snickered, shaking her head as she turned to get to the corner where they were going to start installing the fresh pipes, "You two are such five-year-olds, sometimes."

He laughed out loud, aware that Jack was watching them with relaxed pleasure as he passed up the first length, "Five-year-olds who can make you scream with pleasure, colonel-ma'am."

She threw him back a grin before getting to work, "It *is* a nice big bed, isn't it?"

####

Three hours later, Siler leaned back against the kitchen counter, glugging cold lemonade from the container in relief. Watching some of the drink trickle out the sides of his mouth and down his throat, Sam stepped forward on silent feet. No matter how tired she was and how much they both needed a shower, she'd spent the day keeping her eyes from straying *too* long to avoid the kind of distraction that would be deadly 30 feet up on a sloped surface. And now there was no reason whatsoever not to drool to her heart's content. Grinning, she decided that they really needed to convince Jack to feel less self-conscious; this whole ogling thing was just *too* pleasurable.

Bare skin shiny with sweat, and that trickle of sweetness was running a trail down his right pectoral now, sliding easily over the bare, heavy muscle that had just spent unforgiving hours holding, hauling and nailing. Like her, he'd ditched his shoes and socks outside and hosed his legs and feet to cool down, splashing the ragged edge of the cutoffs that only came a couple inches down his muscled thighs.

And now that tempting trail of runaway liquid was creating matching wet spots in the ancient denim at his waist, running in the valleys between ab muscles -just deep enough to act as guides.

"Are you trying to undress me with those eyes, colonel?"

Sam lifted those eyes with a grin at the gravely words, meeting the laughter in his and aware that he'd straightened slightly. Considering how self-effacing he could be, that bit of pride in the shape he was in was not only well-earned, but downright adorable. She stepped all the way up to him and took the plastic container from him to take a few swallows of her own, letting her belly come to rest against his fly and feeling his hands cup her hips loosely as he smiled at her; tired and happy in the late afternoon light.

His body still radiated heat from the sun and the work, and the musky smell of physical labour was sticking to both of them after the long day. Nonetheless, Sam set the empty container aside and bypassed his reaching lips to suckle at the corner of his mouth, humming at the lemony sweetness mixed with salty sweat and stubble, hearing him chuckle, his hands stealthily sneaking under her top. Nudging his head a little sideways and up with hers, she followed the trail down his throat, her hands, resting on his ribs, feeling the shudder that went through him and the tension it left behind as she deliberately teased his sensitive skin.

Jack must have decided to setup and try out their new bed after his shower because the house was so quiet that Siler's breathing filled her ears; their own little intimate world of sensation. 

His hands stilled as she bent to continue the trail, slow and languid, licking smooth skin and getting high on the taste of sweat, Siler and sugar; and especially on the soft moan in his throat.

Though the trail had bypassed the hollow of his throat, Sam had no qualms about cheating. Seducing Siler was the point; not conducting a science experiment. And seducing herself with the feel of him was a happy by-product, she thought, need pooling heat through her lower body as he shivered, his hands clenching where they held her.

"Sam."

Strange that Siler's quiet raspy lisp of the shortened form of her name had the same shiver-causing emotional effect as Jack's tender use of 'Samantha'.

Letting her eyes close momentarily as she very gently kissed the side of his tight nipple, her hands slid slowly down his sweaty, dirt-grainy back to his waistband, gliding her palms over his ass to dislodge the dirt she'd picked up and then coming back up to tease her fingers into the tight space between the material and his hot skin.

Hearing his breath catch in anticipation, she kept her eyes closed, simply revelling in her other senses as she traced the edge of his pectoral with her stiffened tongue. Salt, musk and lemonade, Siler's and her own unsteady breath, smooth skin, stretched over hard muscle; arousal was making her a little too sensitive for her tight shorts, but she shifted her hips to rearrange the fit and carried on. Lowering to a crouch, her hands followed the ragged material around his waist until they met at his fly, her teeth scraping over his abs to the tune of his choked groans.

Her lips took a last detour to his hip as his hands slid into her hair and hers carefully undid his buttons, working around the twitch of his pelvis and the way his aroused cock distended the fabric. Every lick and nibble at the little hollow under her lips caused the man she was torturing to jerk with increasing power, choking out swearwords mixed with her name; and made hunger shiver through her, dampness leaving her increasingly aware of her own shivery body.

With a last, mostly-teasing, bite, Sam sat back on her heels for a second to appreciate the view, smirking at him when his eyes popped open and he squawked 'Hey!' at her no longer kissing him. He really *was* addicted to touch.

The sheepish look that appeared as she smiled affectionately at him was entirely too boyish for the experienced man he was, lighting his eyes with such open emotion that she was very tempted to stand up and just kiss him for an hour or two.

But her hand was wrapped around very hard flesh that flexed under her slightly shifting grip and she was even *more* inclined to drive him a little crazy; right now. With a last visual sweep of all the enticing, sweaty, muscle-y, freely offered skin, Sam shifted forward, ignoring the thrust of his hips and his moan of anticipation. Unerringly finding the last of the lemonade and sucking it off the skin wrinkled by the waistband of his shorts. She should call him commando-Siler, considering how often he skipped underwear...

Then she stopped teasing, sliding her lips onto his cock and slowly down his length, sucking as she slid her palms under his shorts, encouraging them to slide down his legs as she stroked and squeezed the tight cheeks of his ass.

Her hands had just enough control this way to keep his hips from jerking him too deep and she could slide up and down his cock with simple, unimpeded pleasure. Though his hands clenched in her hair repeatedly, she easily ignored the occasional attempted tug, listening to his ragged gasps instead and feeling him pulse between her lips. Swirling her tongue around him as she sucked more firmly and deeper made him cry out roughly, shuddering, and her clit responded with sharp throbbing of its own; an ache for him growing deep inside.

Sam could just see Siler's expression from this position, and watched, letting the knowledge of his pleasure skid through her and add to the need to be taken. She knew he was getting close when she had to shift her hands to his hips to hold him steady and, however much she wanted his cock hard inside her body, she'd wanted to do *this* since the first time she'd watched him and Jack so comfortably cooking together and was about to speed up her movements to get him there when his arms tensed and he pulled her firmly away from his cock and upright until he could kiss her, stabbing his tongue into her mouth and demanding surrender.

Lost in the possessive kiss, the edge of the table hitting the back of her thighs was the only thing that forced her to pay attention to the new state of affairs, just in time to feel her shorts glide down her legs. Before she could react further than with a gasp of surprise, there was a tug at her shoulders and the rip of fabric; shortly followed by her arms getting pulled away from their grip on Siler's shoulders for the remnant of her top to come off. Only then, when she was as naked as he was, did the suddenly wild man making love to her pull back.

His hands slid to her thighs as he stared fiercely into her eyes, "Want you. Want to *fuck* you. Now."

Sam's teasing pout of disappointment smeared into a moan when he lifted her legs around his waist and drove into her with a shaky growl against her lips, taking the step so her ass edged onto the table. Focused on feeling the much-needed pressure inside her needy body, she let him shift her until she was laying back on the chilly wood and her feet brushed his ears, giving him total control and total access. Both of which he took full advantage of, holding her hips and thrusting hard.

She could feel his every muscle hard under her legs, watched with wide eyes and short breath as his face tightened, thrown back to drive harder.

Twisting on the table as much as she could within his steely grip, Sam brought her hands up, cupping her breast and stroking her nipples just right, feeling the resulting pull meet the quickly-rising wall of pleasure as he hit right on her G-spot over and over. Then she was tensing, unable to breathe as the orgasm exploded through her, barely seeing his expression change with the harsh pleasure as she dragged him over.

Coming back to her senses to the feel of her body twitching with the last aftershocks, she smiled lazily, looking with content pleasure at the man leaning his weight on the table on either side of her hips, head hanging between his locked-straight arms. She had to look wanton as hell with her legs up and around his head, the two of them buck naked in the late-afternoon shadows of their kitchen. Not that she was inclined to do anything to change it; the heat still soaking her body and the sweet intimacy of watching and feeling his body slowly softening was peaceful heaven.

Seeing Jack round the table, though, showered and changed into clean house-slacks and shirt, wearing an intense look that she knew very well, sent a fresh pulse of anticipation through her previously sated body, watching with once again shortening breath as he slid a hand up Siler's throat to his jaw, raising his face to meet his for a hard, deep kiss.

Just as she saw Jack's other hand splay over the back of Siler's head, trying to deepen the kiss as Sam watched appreciatively, the sergeant pulled back with a small grin, turning to wink at her as he gently lowered her legs before pulling his softened cock out of her unconsciously resisting body and stepping away.

Now she *really* was wanton, laying there without a word as Jack took Siler's place with a tight grin. 

Noticing that he had his slacks open and likely been watching them for a while, by the evidence of his cock, hard and wet up against his belly, she grinned, wordlessly bringing her legs up to his waist, blinking away a wince at her sore muscles, "Enjoyed the show, mon general?"

His eyes very reluctantly rose from her very wet crotch to her eyes, his grin relaxing as he brought one hand to stroke a finger gently along her still-tight clit, idly smoothing the come coating her over her swollen vulva. "Yeah." His other hand smoothed up and down her thigh a bit as he blatantly leered at her naked body. Then he looked to the side and she followed his eyes to where Si' was fishing in a cupboard, uncaring of his nudity. "Very good show."

Jack turned back to her, taking his hand from her thigh to his cock and guiding himself into her without further ado. She arched up, moaning softly at the easy, wet glide into her willing body. Then his earlier intensity came back full-force, his gentleness morphing into quick, shallow thrusts.

Leaning on the counter and drizzling honey on his finger to lick it up, Siler watched appreciatively as Jack let himself go; watched Sam enjoy another slow climb into need. Smiling happily, he brought his energy-snack and ambled over to them, loving how good he felt. It really *had* been a long day's work, but they'd done it calmly and slowly and all he felt was pleasantly tired. 

And then hot lovemaking to unwind his worked-up muscles, and eye-candy to unwind his mind.. yeah, life was damned good.

Sucking his finger clean, he teasingly squeezed one hard cheek of Jack's ass, sliding the hand up his tensed back to his shoulder and leaning in to close his teeth on his neck, finding that little spot right under his ear. Nice Jack-soapy-clean skin, rough with stubble, and the harsh groan of his lover responding to him; he grinned, feeling warmth that wasn't really about sex grow with every bit of contact.

Slipping into a chair besides them, Siler drizzled more of his treat on his finger before putting the little plastic bear aside. Sam had turned to watch him and eagerly met his lips, needing *something* and settling for stroking and sucking on his tongue. He slid his sticky finger down her sternum gently, the sugary sweet making his finger slide even more on her sweat-slicked skin, listening to Jack getting closer, the table shivering with every hard thrust. When his finger reached her mound, dislodging hers, he eased it between her lips carefully, laying just the pad on her clit, getting used to Jack's rhythm.

Then, returning her suckling roughly, Siler's free hand went into her hair, cuddling her head close as his finger took up a stroke along her clitoris, rapidly increasing the speed of the movement and feeling her start to tense.

"Thanks Si'."

Siler tilted his head toward Jack, quirking a smile at the breathless words but concentrating on the woman between them. A few more minutes of straining together and Jack stiffened with a harsh cry. Siler lifted his mouth from Sam's frustrated whimper, tracing his tongue lightly down her neck as his finger flickered quickly. When he reached the joint to her shoulder, he bit down on the tender skin, scraping his teeth and moaning in pleasure as he felt her jerk sharply and pulse under his touch and heard her cry out breathlessly right into his ear.

Kissing her shoulder soothingly as she continued to shake, it was his turn to shudder when she randomly nibbled at his neck, working her way into reach of his lips and then taking more half-wild nibbles at *them*.

He was way too tired for another round.. but damn she was finding every sensitive spot and making *him* shake. Witch-woman.

He heard Jack laugh softly and felt Sam's legs shift apart, half-reasoning out that the general had stepped back, but too occupied to care. When Sam finally let him go, he lifted his head, almost self-conscious that she had his breath short again. Almost. Mostly happy that they all had such a strong affect on each other.

Idly retracing the faint trail of honey he'd left and bringing his finger to his lips, his nostrils flaring at the taste of Sam, sex and honey, Siler grinned lazily up at Jack when he laid a caressing hand on his shoulder, fully dressed and smiling at Siler's distraction as he relaxed from his own high. Siler stood up slowly, sliding his arms under Sam's neck and knees to lift her rather than let her fight with sweaty skin sticking to a shaky table. Sitting back down with her cuddling on his lap with an accepting yawn, he looked at Jack with a tired smirk, "That big bed? Maybe a heavier table would be a good idea too.."


	2. Retirement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this comes AFTER draco_somnians's [Occupied territory (PG13): The things we do for friendship](http://draco_somnians.livejournal.com/141391.html)
> 
> Siler had a tough day (July - 2 months PB)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may be altered at some future date, should its past change.. (eg)  
but I'll warn ya when that happens by the by,  
***if you are reading this endlessly bunnied saga that has eaten my brain, feel free to drop even the shortest word, you'd be amazed how it makes me grin.. well.. if you could see you would be.. lol - OK, no more begging for today, on to making room in my WIP file

Siler felt like hell. Watching the red light in front of him, every breath ached, every shift of his body was pain. He wanted to be home; wanted to fall -make that, 'gingerly lay down'- into bed and not move for a week.

The light changed and he turned automatically, wondering if it'd be worth the teasing from Jack to talk about retirement. Spending those few days in Minnesota a couple of weeks ago had been.. beyond relaxing. And fun. Even fishing in a pond with only one fish had been restful; though he did feel a little silly at first.

Listening to Sam tease Jack. Sitting in his chair quietly as the man replied in kind; somehow feeling included in their bond. Having Sam stop and scratch his head as she walked by him on the dock, with the hot sun beating down on his all-too work-pale face. Tiny things; but added to the emotional intimacy that had also crept in amongst the sex, it had pretty much cemented him to them.

Even then he couldn't have denied anymore that the thought of losing them was enough to almost terrify him when he made the mistake of letting himself contemplate it. With the last couple of weeks of even tighter intimacy...

He parked the truck, staring at the gutters he put up last weekend. Damn. Sleep-driving was *not* a good thing. He should turn around and go to *his* house as he'd planned.

But he was so fucking sore.

It wasn't as though he didn't think he'd be welcome; as much as he still felt a little like he was butting in sometimes, the shape he was in, he wasn't going to be getting between anyone tonight. He'd planned to go home for no better reason than to avoid needlessly dealing with their sympathy and mothering.

But it looked like deep down, it didn't matter that he'd spent the last couple of decades with nothing but his job and his hobbies; he obviously liked this whole, sometimes stressful, family bit. Maybe it was even time to admit that he was, for all intents of purpose, living with them... The momentary panic that that thought brought out made him hurriedly bury it. OK, maybe not quite ready for that.

Too tired to run, he finally made himself get out, stumbling around to the front of the house from where he parked out of sight.

Siler's head hung and he watched the ground under his feet, every painful step making the 'R' word seem less and less scary. It wasn't as though he'd be bored; he'd have Jack for company. Wouldn't have to do without Sam every few weeks because of conflicting schedules...

He found the right key on his ring and opened the door, stepping through with an unconscious sigh of ease, remembering with a strange feeling of time dragging him along how much he'd resisted using that innocent piece of metal.

Slowly and painfully getting his boots off, he called out tiredly, "It's just me."

"So it is SergeantSiler."

Siler's head jerked up, painfully, eyes widening as he met Teal'c's curiously raised brow, "Teal'c." He very reluctantly looked besides the smirking warrior, "Doctor Jackson."

Daniel's reply had a very practised blandness that made Siler wince even more than the invisible Jaffa-smirk, "Sergeant."

The three of them stared at each other for a few seconds before Siler saw Sam shoulder her way through her teammates with a blush-defying scowl, "Siler, what the hell did you do to yourself??"

Reminded of the condition of his body -as well as the expected sympathy-, he winced, making himself stand still as she very carefully touched the bruising around his eye, "Testing that new impact suit," he flinched when she touched his arm on a bruise, "It needs some work."

"I *told* you to ask for a slave for these damn things, *you* don't need to be getting beaten up like this."

"Yes ma'am. Even *I* thought it was ready."

Siler could see her teammates grinning behind her as he stood quietly and took the lecture and mothering until Jack spoke from between his friends, smirking at the woman they would both die for, "Carter, at least pour him into a hot bath before you start the nagging."

Sam glared over her shoulder for a second but then she grumbled something under her breath and gently -unnecessarily- guided Siler up the stairs and toward their bedroom, ignoring the Jaffa and the archaeologist watching with interested smirks and her old commanding officer, fooling no one by hiding his concern under teasing.

Jack poured himself a drink when he walked back into the living room, bracing for he-didn't-quite-know-what. He wasn't ashamed of his relationship. He really wasn't. But T' and Danny boy were his closest friends, and if they had a problem with it... It would hurt Siler to know Jack had had to make a choice.

He finally turned and faced them, a little surprised at their casual positions; right back on the couch, relaxing with their drinks as though there hadn't been a door opening without a knock. As though Sam hadn't just turned into the typical worried girlfriend and wasn't upstairs with another man. He sat in his chair and looked at them, unable to see anything but mild amusement. "T'? Somehow I kinda expected you to have something to say.." Or *ask*...

Teal'c's brow raised, head tilting with what a stranger would have called impassivity but he recognized as laughter, "Did you O'Neill? On the contrary. It is not unheard of on Chulak for a woman to have two husbands. It can be a source of much reassurance to know your family is not unprotected when your duties call you away from your home."

Seeing Daniel blink at their alien friend in surprise made Jack feel better; for once he wasn't the last to hear about weird Jaffa traditions. "And you, Danny-boy?" No matter how accepting of cultures SG-1's diplomat might be, Daniel had still been raised to the North American standard...

The no-longer-young archaeologist that had been a part of saving his suicidal hide so many years ago gave him an innocent look and then a grin that had gotten rarer with the years, "Hey, I'm with Teal'c. I'm sure Sam feels much better knowing you're not alone when she goes to war."

It figured. "Shut *up*, Daniel." But he was smiling hesitantly as he said it, deeply grateful for his friends.

####

NEXT in the verse is draco_somnians's [A little TLC (NC17): Siler accepts a little mothering](http://draco_somnians.livejournal.com/151074.html)

####

When Sam came back down to join them a little while later, Jack wondered at the mixed feelings that that very large hand print, so intimately high on her thigh, sent through him. Siler was such a part of *him* these days that a hell of lot more than half his reaction was pleasure at the public proprietary mark that might as well be his. That there was a tiny, quark-esque even, hint of.. not jealousy, per say, but.. maybe just a small, childish wish for her to carry *his* mark too... Well, they'd had the 'jealousy' discussion just a few days ago; he wasn't going to have it brought back.

He squashed the foolishness as she picked up her glass of wine from the table, but when she went to move around to the free armchair, Jack took the opportunity and pulled her onto his lap with forced casualness, "How is he?"

She looked at her friendlily smiling teammates, curious about the conversation she'd missed and impressed with their self-control at not even glancing at her leg. "Very black and blue and feeling old. He should have been kept in the infirmary with some happy-drugs. I'm going to bet he insisted on being allowed to go home; you're a bad influence on him." She ignored the proud smirk that that put on the retired general's face, content to lean back on his chest and relax, a little amused at the way his fingers were tracing the wet patch on her thigh. 

His sudden physical possessiveness in front of their friends also made her smirk a little; they'd had such a strange 'courtship', and now relationship, that there weren't all that many opportunities to lay claim to each other publicly. In small doses, it was nice to know she was wanted; the jealous idiot that Jack could become, sometimes, was a different matter of course. But then this was a strange enough situation that she could easily forgive the slip. "He just crashed into bed," she frowned to herself, "I should have made him grab some pills."

"So he lives here?"

Daniel's casual tone didn't *seem* faked, though she still looked at him askance. Glancing at Jack and accepting his almost unnoticeable nod as meaning everything was fine, she stumbled through the grey area for a reply. "He.. spends most of his time here, these days." It was very strange to realize that only a couple of months had passed since the three of them had started this relationship; sometimes she felt as though they'd all been 'together' for a decade. But then she also remembered that even after getting back from the closeness they'd shared in Minnesota, Siler had still assumed he needed an invitation. She shrugged, "But he has his own home."

"I don't know, seems to me *this*-" They all looked up at the slow footsteps coming down the stairs.

Siler winced at the attention, but he'd felt guilty leaving them to take what he suspected would be a pile of teasing alone, and when he'd laid down, he'd realized he was starving. "Err, just a little hungry," he muttered tiredly, making a small wave toward the kitchen, not sure, suddenly, that he should interrupt the gathering of the original SG-1, "Didn't mean to-"

But Sam was already up and making him sit in the other armchair with a carefully-placed but firm push, "Sit down before you *fall* down. I'll get you something to eat."

Jack snickered out loud at the badly-hidden wince that crossed the sergeant's face before he spoke hurriedly, waking slightly, "That's OK, you really *don't* have-"

Sam rolled her eyes, glaring all around as even Daniel smirked, "There's *pizza*. Unless you don't trust my dishing that out?" She ended with her hands on her hips, glaring down into Siler's very bruised face, trying not to melt with the need to take care of him; her cooking wasn't *that* bad, she was very tired of the implication!

"Sorry, Sam."

The boys all watched as she snorted and walked away, obviously still miffed at all of them. 

"That was not a wise move SergeantSiler."

Siler turned to the Jaffa, tense at the dive into an unfamiliar situation but forcing himself to act friendly with the people his lovers had been friends with for so long, "Yeah," he tried to grin, but ended up wincing as the cuts on his lip cracked and burned, voice dropping as the good the bath had done to his body's aches and to his energy faded, "I'd blame the painkillers if I thought it'd help."

Jack shook his head, getting up with a growing worried frown, "Don't bother. Just skip straight to making sad eyes. Especially with that shiner you've got, should work like a charm."

"Well technically it *is* charm."

Crouching in front of Siler, Jack muttered "Shut *up* Danny boy" as a practised aside.

Refraining from reacting, Daniel watched the same tells he'd seen for years as his buddy self-consciously choked back his instinct to touch, instead frowning as though annoyed, trying to hide his very real care and worry. Even the tense, snarky mutter was the same as Daniel'd had heard aimed at every member of SG-1 for years.

"You taken your pills?"

Daniel's eyes shifted to the sergeant that had always been at the periphery of their lives, noticing that the unaccustomed BDUs looked an awful lot like they were borrowed, by their fit. Especially with the tear on the epaulet that made Daniel picture a star being ripped off in a hurry.

"Not yet," the man's voice was definitely fading, his eyes drooping, "Wanted to eat, and you know how they knock me for a loop."

The implication of familiarity in the words were as much of a giveaway as Jack touching his forehead would have been. As Jack carefully handing him his own drink *was*.

"Just a sip, Sparky."

Daniel choked a snigger at the glare that that mothering got the retired general. "I'm not a child, or a fool. Lay *off*, general."

He shared a laughing glance with Teal'c's amused raised brow, seeing a smirk cross the Jaffa's face. Yeah, *they* didn't have to worry about Jack either now.


	3. Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> More flowers

Strolling into the bedroom while listening to Sam and Jack chit chat downstairs, Siler saw the red roses on two of the pillows and his breath caught just slightly for a second before a grin broke out on his lips, more than a little surprised at his own reaction. Sam had walked through the door just as Siler started up the stairs; there was only one person who could have put the flowers there.

Although even *he* hadn't thought to buy any bouquets since that first time, several *months* ago now. Wincing and making a mental note to rectify that, soon, Siler nonetheless was quite sure the dustiness he'd encountered on that vase meant that Jack was even worse at that particular romantic gesture. And yet, there those perfect buds were. Sitting, not quite on 'his and Sam's' pillows, but that was only because somehow they were all as likely to end up in the centre of that bed; no pillow belonged to anyone. For that matter, going to the bathroom in the middle of the night often meant finding his previous spot taken. Luckily he was just as happy sleeping between them as wrapped around one or the other.

His eyes wandered to the rest of the room; the side tables that held a reflective mix of Sam's hand cream, Jack's heat rub, *his* painkillers -and that only by virtue of his needing them more often-. Two alarms that he and Sam went back and forth on, wallets, keys, change, pocket pens, watches, jewelry... All mixed up on the assorted surfaces.

Slowly stripping out of his smelly work clothes, Siler kept staring, unable to remember the details of the room as it had been when he'd first set foot in it, thinking that he was just a friendly guest. Had, just *maybe*, found some friends with benefits with whom the friendship was as important as the benefits. But *never*, for even one second, considering that he'd soon have a toothbrush next to the sink and his college ring in a peanut tin with a pair of Jack's cuff links and some wire nuts he'd found in his pocket one night and never remembered to take with him in the morning.

He hadn't noticed *when* it had changed; when they'd, wordlessly and unobtrusively, made an easy place for him in their already complicated life. Staring in the closet, where a noticeable sprinkling of blue jumpsuits broke up the mostly plain-coloured, simple-cut male shirts, still well held at bay by the multi-hued, multi-shaped apparent chaos that was Sam's personal apparel and uniforms, he had no hesitation -didn't even think about- reaching in and taking a random shirt. Hell, he was so used to Jack's larger ones lately that he had to stop and pay attention before he could call this one his. He'd even grabbed boxers often enough by accident that Jack had stopped separating them in the now *two* drawers they shared...

He had hidden stashes in the kitchen of his emergency rations -that Jack would steal, given a chance-, the general had actually switched to Siler's shaving gel, and the smell of Jack's shampoo was as familiar as his own. More so. He'd even been known to borrow the electric shaver, especially after a Friday or two when Sam had given away her appreciation of the not-so-close shave, at least when she didn't have to go to work the next day...

Huh. The reality wasn't half as scary as the words 'living with them' had been, just a few days ago.

He was downright smiling as he gave the hand-razor's blades a wipe with the old toothbrush he kept out of the way behind the tightly-arrayed bottles of mystery Sam-things; since Jack had the annoying habit of leaving it filled with hairs. Siler'd cut himself with it all of *once* before he started checking it before use. He supposed it should piss him off.. and it did, some days. Especially when he'd discovered the state the lawnmower's engine was in; he'd almost blown up at *both* of them for that one. But he also knew damn well that Jack wished he'd take mothering better, and that Sam wanted to smack him for leaving his boots laying haphazardly all the time.

Sly Siler in a real relationship. There were people who'd kill themselves laughing at the idea. Including his younger self.

None of that mattered when, most of the time, what he remembered was just about always falling asleep so fucking satisfied that he couldn't even make himself think about planning the next day's work. Not to mention getting to tease the hell out of both of them any time he had the urge.

And morning cuddles. Those two had seriously addicted him to cuddling. Taking a couple seconds to brush the razor clean just wasn't a big deal compared to the hours that they spent together. And one of his favourite memories was the afternoon he'd rebuilt that poor old two-stroke engine with Sam; sitting on a tarp in the driveway under the warm sun, with Jack safely off to the side, watching them as his fingers played with some twisted pieces of metal Sam apparently kept around for the purpose. The smell of grease, gasoline and some neighbour cutting *his* grass had soaked into him right along with Sam's laughter and Jack's needling. Heaven by any other name, even though he'd never have conceived of it on his own.

Cleaned, dressed and about to go back downstairs, he gave the nearest flower a twisted grin and gave into the temptation to pick it up.

Walking into the kitchen, he found the reason Sam hadn't come upstairs: she'd weaselled fresh coffee out of their houseman. Which had no doubt been terribly painful; Siler smirked to himself at the thought. He dropped a nuzzle on the crown of her head where she sat at the table watching Jack pulling the makings of supper onto the counter.

"Hey."

Her welcoming smile made Siler rethink his itinerary; he kept his hand down by his thigh and took the offered puckered lips, grinning at the gritty dust he got from the corner of her mouth, "You need a shower, colonel-ma'am." He stole another kiss from her pout before winking and continuing on his way.

Instead of going straight for a much-anticipated cold beer, he stopped by the man prepping wings. Ignoring both the distracted grunt of acknowledgement and the questioning look for his stopping, he leaned over and snuck a hand to Jack's pant-zipper for a fondle. Siler grinned into the responding raised brow, bringing the rose out of hiding and up to slide the soft petals from the hollow of the now fully-attentive general's throat to his lips. Jack's breath caught and Siler muttered into his ear a teasing 'Sap', hearing Sam hum appreciatively behind him.

The twitch of the general's shoulders made Siler think of an aborted hunch as the man cleared his throat with a slightly defencive glower.

Then he suddenly smirked, eyes clearing as he obviously came up with a good cover story, and Siler's smile widened, waiting patiently as he continued to stroke Jack's throat and cheeks lightly.

"What? You've been coming home so wiped you're not even in the mood," he shrugged elaborately as Siler gapped at him and Sam failed to choke back giggles, "I read somewhere that flowers and food are supposed to help-" Siler had finally recovered from the unexpected blandishment and wrapped his hand around the general's jaw, pulling his lips over with a growl. The kiss hardly merited the name since they were both chuckling within seconds and couldn't get a proper lock on each other, in the end giving in and simply leaning forehead to forehead and smirking at each other.

"Five-year-olds."

The tenderness in Sam's voice as she suddenly appeared besides them was matched by her touch as she peeled back Siler's hand to take the thorny stem away and kiss the light scratches it left on Jack's cheek and Siler's palm. Siler pulled his hand back to wrap it around her waist, just to touch; sliding his other from Jack's crotch to his lower back. Listening as Sam teasingly congratulated Jack for following Siler's good romance example; the needling deflected by her using the rose herself to make him shiver, standing tightly close in the circle of their bodies.

Yeah. Cuddles. And teasing and sex. If *this* was 'living together'... maybe he'd been missing something all these years after all.


End file.
